The Mumbai Indians, gearing up for the 2024 IPL season, made a significant move earlier this month as they appointed Hardik Pandya as their new captain. Hardik returned to the Mumbai Indians after two years in a trade last month, having been released by the franchise ahead of the 2022 mega auction. Despite the decision to name Hardik as captain, Rohit Sharma remains a part of the team, and the management emphasized that Rohit will continue to play a pivotal role during this transition. The announcement sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with some criticizing the Mumbai Indians for removing Rohit as captain.
According to former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, Suryakumar Yadav is the sole dependable batter in the Mumbai Indians lineup as they prepare for the 2024 edition of the tournament.
“Ishan Kishan, from couple of seasons before MI paid the big bucks… he is in the same kind of form. Tim David is still trying to fill the shoes of Kieron Pollard. On form, one player that you can maybe depend on, the player who you can expect to come good, is Suryakumar Yadav,” said Manjrekar on Hotstar during a commentary stint during India’s 2nd ODI against South Africa.
“Rohit Sharma, for me, as a batter, is a question mark in T20 cricket. has shown promise, the way he played in the fifty -over World Cups. But that’s a completely different format, when you know you have fifty overs. They bat in that fashion. Bowlers just bowl differently in 50 overs as well,” he said further.
Sharma has also remained absent from the Indian T20I squad since November 2022, marking his last appearance as the captain during the T20 World Cup. In his absence, Hardik Pandya has taken up the leadership role for the Indian team in the shortest format.
